Impact
Definition¶
“an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life (beyond academia)”
Definition source: UKRI (n.d.) REF Impact.
Stakes¶
part of: opacity, discrimination
related to: unintended use
If impact goes unconsidered, and therefore not discussed in research’s output, there can be (unintended) harm done. In order to work as responsibly as possible, while aiming for just knowledge production, impact should be accounted for during conceptualisation of the project already.
Where does it occur in the lifecycle?¶
1 - Set up
Questions to consider throughout your work¶
- Who do the scholarship and/or research projects currently impact positively and/or negatively, and in what way? In terms of accessibility (digital divide), representation, use of language?
- Who would your research impact positively and/or negatively, and in what way? In terms of agenda, accessibility (digital divide), representation, use of language?
- In what way would your data harm other persons and the environment?1
Examples¶
- University of York, Guidance on Impact, Ethics, and Data Protection: https://www.york.ac.uk/media/hrc/hrcmedialibrary/ahec/Guidance-on-impact-ethics-and-data-protection.pdf
Good-better-best practices¶
| Good | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| You are aware of the impact that your research can have (both intended and unintended) and outline these points in your documentation. | You conceive your research project with a clear understanding of the impact that your research can have, and regularly evaluate and document how the desired impact has changed or been modified through the different stages of the research life-cycle. | Creating positive societal impact occupies a central place in your research plan. You earmark funding and devise strategies to accomplish this. |
Resources¶
- David Leslie, Michael Katell, Mhairi Aitken, et al. “Advancing Data Justice Research and Practice: An Integrated Literature Review.” SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 4073376. Social Science Research Network, March 22, 2022. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4073376.
- Data Advocacy 4 All: https://da4all.github.io/
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Adapted from RDMkit, Ethical aspects (accessed 21 August 2025). ↩